Man vs Wolf Wolfblood Uncovered

How can wolfbloods run so fast and for so long?

Why are their senses so intense?

And why is family so important to them?

It all comes down to the extraordinary wild wolves

that they share so many qualities with.

In this series, we'll uncover the truth about wolves

and reveal just why wolfbloods are the way that they are.

This is Wolfblood Uncovered.

In this episode we'll explore why wolves are featured

so heavily in our myths and folklore and find out how our attitude

towards them has influenced their survival.

Throughout most of history, people have been fascinated by wolves.

We have a long and complicated relationship with them

and we haven't always liked them.

They're often featured in books, films and TV programmes and

the most well known story associated with them is that of werewolves.

People who transform into these wolflike monsters at the full moon.

Wolfbloods are affected by the moon, but they're not werewolves,

as they transform into actual wolves and not monsters.

'Shannon obviously didn't know this.

'She was just intent on finding the beast.

'But when a fire started in the lab because an after school

'science experiment went wrong,

'she thought she saw something through the smoke and became sure

'that the beast she was looking of was a werewolf

'and that she knew who it was.'

FIRE BELL RINGS

Tom! Thank goodness.

Get them out of here, now!

You saved them.

Shannon...

..are you all right?

I saw...

-I thought I...

-It's over, yeah? It's finished now.

'When Maddy later caught up with Tom,

'she found out about Shannon's theory.'

-Tom, I just want to say...

-I know, don't worry about it.

Oh, what's that? It smells disgusting!

-Something to get us through the day.

-So not werewolf potion then?

-Sorry?

Shannon's new theory?

Get this, apparently you're a werewolf.

HE HOWLS

Why would she think that?

She supposedly saw you turn in the fire.

So Shannon was obviously wrong about Maddy being a werewolf,

but it's no surprise that she jumped to the conclusion that her

beast was some kind of wolf-like creature.

Throughout history, wolves have been the subject of many a myth

and a lot have been quite unfavourable.

We even have negative phrases

in our everyday language relating to wolves.

Stuff like, a wolf in sheep's clothing,

which means when someone appears to be nice but isn't.

So when did this negativity start?

'Well, stories where wolves play the bad guy date back thousands of years.

'In the Bible they are frequently portrayed as villainous and sly.

'In fairy tales and fables, they are often cunning and greedy.

'Like the deceitful wolf in little red riding hood

'and the wolf that tries to trick the three little pigs.

'Then there are all the horror stories of werewolves.

'So do these stories have any truth in them?

'Do we really need to be afraid of wolves?

'Actually, wolf attacks on people are extremely rare,

'especially when compared to other meat eating mammals.

'In fact, wolves are shy creatures who normally avoid people.

'Some of the negativity surrounding these beautiful animals is

'probably due to the fact that they're predators,

'so do have ferocious side

'and have to be fierce and shrewd to be able to take down their prey.

'And when people and wolves live in the same place,

'that prey can end up being precious livestock, leading people to

'dislike and fear them and associate them with danger and destruction.

'But not all associations between people and wolves have been negative.

'In Roman mythology,

'it's alleged that Rome was founded by twin brothers Romulus and Remus,

'who are said to have been raised by a wolf when she found them abandoned.

'So there are images of a wolf suckling two boys all over Rome.

'And there have also been other stories throughout

'history of children being raised by wolves,

'including the famous story of Mowgli in the Jungle book.

'Native Americans also liked and admired wolves.

'Because they identified with their wild untamed spirit

'and respected their endurance and hunting ability.'

We've always had a complex relationship with wolves,

so you can see why Maddy and Rhydian didn't want their secret to get out.

But it very nearly did when a fame-hungry reporter came to

town on a quest to track down the beast.

Psst!

I see movement 10 o'clock.

-What are you doing?

-It's a tranquilizer gun.

-Perfectly harmless fetches them all the time.

-Will it hurt it?

No, it'll put it out for a few minutes.

Everyone stay quiet.

Joe, don't miss this.

I never miss.

SUPPRESSED GUNSHOT

-Did you miss?

-No, there's two of them.

Two beasts?

SUPPRESSED GUNSHOT

-Wait, wait, they might no be fully under yet.

-I have to see them!

Let me and Steve get them into the container.

Safety first, OK?

OK.

Are they..?

They're wolves.

Tom, they're wolves.

All this time...

It was wolves. My beast isn't a beast at all.

How can there be wolves here? They've been extinct in Britain for years.

Maybe people just think they died out, maybe they've been here

all the time, surviving without anyone knowing.

Right, you ready, Kyle?

Sleeping animals are a lot easier to film than angry snarling ones.

Turns out the beast wasn't a beast at all.

Thought to be extinct in this country,

these two wolves have survived.

Their existence a secret for years

until I found them.

Not a bad nights work, eh?

There did used to be wild wolves in the UK,

so Tom and Shannon weren't totally wrong in thinking the wolves

they'd caught had survived extinction.

Although that's pretty unlikely,

as there haven't been wild wolves in Britain for almost 300 years.

'And Britain isn't the only place where wild wolves used to roam free.

'Wolves were once so successful,

'that the used to live in more countries than any other land mammal.

'They're very adaptable and can live in a huge range of environments,

'so were found all over the northern half of the world.

'But over the years, their numbers dropped dramatically

'and that was because of people.

'As settlers chopped down forests to make way for fields

'and livestock and wolves began attacking these domestic animals,

'people began killing wolves.

'In Britain, they were hunted to extinction

'and they were wiped out in large parts of Europe.

'In north America,

'more than a million were shot poisoned and trapped

'and by the middle of the last century their numbers had plummeted.

'But thankfully,

'over recent years wolves have been making a comeback.

'This is partly due to their extraordinary survival skills,

'but also because of a change in people's attitudes.

'In the 1970s, wolves were classified as an endangered species

'and gradually, efforts were made to conserve them.

'For example, in 1995 they were re-introduced to

'Yellowstone National Park and since then

'their numbers have increased in the United States.

'Attempts are also being made to improve

'the way that people think about them.

'They are still vulnerable, but things are definitely looking up.

'Through education and protection of wilderness areas hopefully

'we can save the wolf.'

From stories of big bad wolves

and plummeting wolf numbers through persecution,

to changes in attitudes and conservation efforts,

wolves and people have been on a long and difficult journey together.

So it's no surprise that we're a little bit cautious of one another.

'Wolfbloods are weary too and that's probably sensible, because there are

'people out there who would happily exploit them for their own ends.

'They want their future to be secure, the safest way forward

'is to keep their secret a secret form as many people as possible.'

All it takes is one person to spot us

and then they'll hunt us down, it's what they do.

The beast is back, Maddy.

And I think I know where I can find it.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd